Thompson pocketed $66,000 for his efforts, including a new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and automatic entry into the 2019 BFL All-American Championship.

“I really struggled on the first day until about noon,” said Thompson, who earned his second career win in BFL competition. “Every piece of structure in the North East River was covered with two or three boats because the fishing was so tough out on the flats.

“I went up into the North East Creek and found a little spot where there was just enough room for one more boat on a small piece of structure, a tree laydown. I fished it with a Zoom Finesse Worm on a drop-shot rig and managed to catch a limit just before the end of the day.”

With just over 10 pounds of bass on Day One, Thompson knew he needed a big catch on Day Two to break into the top six, his ultimate goal.

“On the final morning, I got a water temperature reading and found it had dropped eight or nine degrees,” said Thompson. “I was happy with how cold it got. With some history in mind, I knew people would have a hard time with the cold front, but also felt that I would excel.”